2026 Ballon d’Or Ceremony Moves to London for 70th Anniversary
UEFA announced on May 28, 2026, that London will host the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony on October 26 for the first time outside Paris, honoring inaugural winner Stanley Matthews on the award’s 70th anniversary. The choice comes as the organization partners with France Football, which created the Ballon d’Or in 1956, to expand the event’s international reach, the statement said.
UEFA’s statement carried by Qatar News Agency explained that hosting the gala in London pays tribute to Matthews, the England legend who claimed the first award at the age of 41 while with Blackpool. According to Britannica, Matthews earned the honor in December 1956 for his performances that year, a milestone that the 2026 ceremony will commemorate seven decades later. This decision also aligns with the award’s growth into a global brand.
The partnership between UEFA and France Football, launched ahead of the 2024 edition, enables such international staging while France Football maintains the voting methodology, UEFA’s website reported. Under this framework, the ceremony has evolved to celebrate both men’s and women’s football on a larger scale. The 70th anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on the award’s rich history.
Ceremonies have been held exclusively in Paris in recent years, with the Théâtre du Châtelet as the venue since 2019 according to Sports Illustrated. Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati took the men’s and women’s honors in 2025, the organizers noted. Relocating to London for the next edition therefore breaks from that pattern in a deliberate effort to broaden appeal.
No specific venue in the British capital has been confirmed so far, the May 28 announcement indicated. Organizers described the selection as a way to strengthen the Ballon d’Or’s status as football’s premier individual prize while engaging fans in new markets. Further information on the event format is likely to follow in subsequent updates.
The Ballon d’Or began as an award for the best player in Europe in 1956 before expanding eligibility in 1995 and becoming fully international, data from Wikipedia shows. A women’s category was introduced in 2018 to recognize excellence across the sport. These adaptations have helped establish it as the most coveted individual accolade in world football.
